Assam ranks third in rubber production
Staff Reporter
Guwahati: M. Vasanthagesan, Executive Director, Rubber Board, today said that there is immense potential for rubber cultivation in Assam and that the state ranks third in the country in rubber production after Kerala and Tripura.
Vasanthagesan stated that the Rubber Board is focusing on both expanding the cultivation area and enhancing productivity to bridge the demand-supply gap in natural rubber. He said that rubber cultivation in the Northeastern region currently covers about 1.8 lakh hectares, of which nearly 50,000 hectares are located in Assam, underscoring the state’s growing importance in India’s rubber economy.
Vasanthagesan said this during a press briefing in Guwahati today to highlight the key initiatives, achievements, and policy interventions of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry organised by its Department of Commerce as part of the Government of India’s nationwide campaign commemorating 12 Years of Governance.
As chief guest at the event, Kapil Chaudhary, Joint Secretary, Department of Commerce, spoke on the theme “FTAs and New Opportunities with Special Focus on Plantation and Forest Products”, highlighting the benefits of India’s Free Trade Agreements and the emerging opportunities they present for exporters, producers and stakeholders in the plantation and forest products sectors.
Chaudhary highlighted the significant benefits of India’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with various countries, such as the India-UK FTA, Indian-Australia ECTA, etc., in detail. She stated that these agreements are enabling Indian businesses to access new international markets and strengthen the country’s export competitiveness. Sectors such as agriculture, textiles, pharmaceuticals and plantation products are among the major beneficiaries of these trade agreements.
Speaking on Assam’s export potential, she stated that apart from tea, products such as petroleum products, coal, drug formulations, cosmetics and toiletries are also witnessing increasing exports from the state. She further highlighted the growing prospects of the rubber sector in Assam and stated that the world’s first genetically modified rubber plant, developed by the Rubber Research Institute specifically for the region, has been planted in Assam. She encouraged exporters from the Northeast to focus on value addition, quality enhancement, branding, and market diversification to strengthen their presence in international markets.
A collaborative initiative of the Rubber Board funded by ATMA (Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association), called the INROAD Project, envisages the development of rubber plantations in Northeast and West Bengal over two lakh hectares during the period 2021–2026. Since the inception of the project, planting has been completed in 1,79,376 hectares benefiting 2,07,248 growers up to the 2025 planting season.
Also Read: Assam ranks third in natural rubber plantations, scope for expansion